A review by nytephoenyx
Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Under the Udala Trees made me feel an extreme range of emotions. At times, there was joy for fresh young love. At others, there was anger at an unjust world. The strongest emotion I remember this book evoking is fear. Near the middle to end of the book, a once neutral relationship deteriorates into an extremely emotionally and sexually abusive one, and it is the imprint of those scenes that have left me with a raw, unsafe echo of a feeling in my chest. It’s not my favorite emotion to carry with me after I finished reading a book, but it means that the book made an impression.

And how could it not?

Ijeoma’s story is one of heartbreak and denial. Growing up during and after the Nigerian Civil War, Ijeoma remembers the pain of her country. A similar turmoil lives within herself as she fights to love freely in a society that would rather stone her to death than abide a same-sex relationship. Through Under the Udala Trees, we watch as Ijeoma discovers her sexuality and falls in love only to have her heart broken time and again. We watch as those closest to her try to cast the devil out, and those she once trusted betray her in the worst ways. We also watch as she loves, dances, and thrives within the quiet moments of her personal joy. I wish I could say Under the Udala Trees is a well-balanced book of joy and sorrow, but I would be lying. There is a lot more hardship in this book than there are triumphs, but it’s Ijeoma’s strength that impressed me through the entire novel.

This is a character-driven book, which means there was no particular plot but instead we follow Ijeoma as she grows up. As such, the pacing could be a bit slow at times. Okparanta’s writing never falters, and I found she has an intense ability to dunk the reader into a trough of emotions. Okparanta does an excellent job of stringing the world together in the background and still bringing it vividly to life. It was easy to become engrossed in Under the Udala Trees, and I was surprised how quickly I finished it. I spent so much time feeling a mixture of fear, regret, and foolish hope that the book flew past.

Unfortunately, acceptance of a variety of sexual identities is still not recognized in certain countries, including Nigeria where this book takes place. Situations identical to Ijeoma’s remain common. It is important to be educated and to fight for the rights of members of the community in countries that are less understanding. From an American perspective it’s easy to forgot that other countries are less excepting of members of the Pride community here, and even in our own culture, we still fight so many homophobic people. Under the Udala Trees reminded me to be grateful for the freedom I have to be a member of the LGBTQIAP+ community without fear prosecution.

This book overwhelmed me with emotion, although I really appreciated it’s scholarly approaches as well. If you have a chance to pick up a copy, I recommend reading Under the Udala Trees some lazy August afternoon. While it is by no means a “feel good“ book, I’m glad I read it once.

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